Snow Left on Your Car? It Could Cost You

It's a miserable task - standing in the freezing cold, removing the snow and ice from your vehicle, especially after a major storm like the one expected this weekend.

AP Photo/Steven Senne

But it's the law if you plan to hit the road during or following the nor'easter, and it's a law police take seriously.

According to Sgt. Jeff Flynn of the New Jersey State Police, troopers issued 275 summonses to drivers in 2015 for failure to remove ice and snow from their vehicles' hoods, windows and roofs.

In addition, they issued 176 warnings.

"I think any New Jersey driver can attest to driving behind someone with all that snow blowing off their rooftops," Flynn told Townsquare Media. "You have chunks of ice that can fly off these vehicles as well."

Many motorists, Flynn said, take the route of speeding up on the highway, letting the wind do all the snow removal work, but that route leaves the drivers behind them in a dangerous position.

According to the Division of Highway Traffic Safety webpage, fines range from $25 to $75 for each offense, but the price tag can jump up to $1,000 if flying ice or snow causes injury to others or property damage.